Drive-chain



J. M. DODGE.

, Drive Chain.- No. 241,944. Patented May 24,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF OHIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVE-CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,944, dated May 24,1881.

Application filed March'22, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DODGE, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of .Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Drive-Chains; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and eX- act description thereof, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relatesto certain new and useful improvements in what areknown as detachable drive-chains and it consists, first, in thecombination, with a link-like device having two side bars, provided withcross-heads at their free ends, and having the opposite ends of saidside bars connected by a tubular end bar, of a pintle-like deviceadapted to fit and turn within-said tubular end bar, and also adapted toengage at its projecting ends with the side bars of a similar link-likedevice and to retain said side bars in engagementwhile the coupled partsmaintain a working relative position, all as will be hereinafter morefully explained; second, in the combination, with alink-like deviceformed of two side bars and one hollow end bar, and a pintle like devicehaving slotted ends and adapted to work in the said ho]- low end bar, aswill be hereinafter described, of projections on the inner faces of theside bars of said link-like device arranged near their free ends andadapted to perform the function of supplemental bearers against thepintle-like device of a similar link-like device, all as will behereinafter more fully set-forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to which myinvention relates to makeand use the same, I will now proceed to more fully explain it, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, andin which I have illustrated my invention in the formsin which I have so far successfully practiced it.

Figure 1 is a face View of two of my improved links coupled together andin a working relative position. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same,(with the parts in the same relative position.) Fig. 3 is an edge viewwith the links turned out of their working position, and also showingone of the links slightly displaced. Fig. 4 is a view looking at thecontrivance seen at Fig. 3 from a point of view indicated by the (ModeL)arrow in the last-mentioned figure, but showing the verticallynrrangedlink turned edgewise, as it must be turned to effect the completeuncoupling of it from the other link. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe pintle-like device detached.

At Fig.6 I have shown a modification of my invention, wherein the sidebars of the link are so differently shaped that it may be disengagedfrom the slotted ends of the pintle' like device by simply first turningthe parts in the relative position illustrated at Fig. 3, except thatthe turned-up link shall be still farther moved downward until theloop-like portions of the side bars shall coincide with the ends of thepintlelike device; while at Fig. 7 I have shown still anothermodification, in which, in lieu of having the ends of the pintlelikedevice slotted to accommodate the side bars of the link, the latter arelongitudinally grooved to accommodate tenons on the ends of the saidpintles.

In the several figures the same part, wherever it occurs, will be founddesignated by the same letter of reference.

In Figs. 1, 2,3, 4, and 5, A A are the side bars, and B the onehollowend bar composing each link-like device, and O are the pintle-likedevices of the chain.

The free end of each side bar, A, is formed or provided with a sort ofcross-head or enlargement at 0 and each of said side bars is also, bypreference, provided at c with a projecting lug arranged on the innerface of the side bar and near its free end, (for a purpose to bepresently explained.)

The hollow end bar, B, is somewhat less in length than the extreme widthof the link, as clearly shown, so that when two links are coupledtogether their side bars, A, may come in line, as shown at Fig. 1, andsaid end bar, B, is preferably cut away slightly at two opposite pointsof each end, as shown at f, to facilitate the coupling and uncoupling ofthe parts of the chain.

For the same purpose as that last mentioned, and also to facilitate theuse of the supplemental lugs e, the pintle-like device 0 may be groovedlongitudinally for a short distance from either end; but to lighten thisdevicel have madeit grooved out its entire length, as shown at g.

(See Fig. 5.) This form gives it ample strength and proper wearing andbearing surfaces with out unnecessary weight of stock. The slotted endportions of the pintlc G are slabbed ed, as shown at i, (see Fig. 5,)and by reference to Fig.1 it will be seen that these portions z',whichafi'ord bearings for the crossheads c incline inwardly toward the axisof pintle C, from the outer ends of the portions 2' to the inner endsthereof. This inclination and a corresponding obliquity to the bearingsurfaces of the cross-heads c operates to make the free ends of the sidebars, A, of each link in the chain draw togetherwhen the chain is undertensional strain, and thus avoids any possible weakening of the chain bya spreading of the free end of the three-sided links.

When the parts are united or coupled together and in any of the usualworking relative positions, (as, for instance, that seen at Fig. 1,) thearticulation of the parts will be perfect, and since the curved portionsof the cross-heads c abut against the shoulder'like portions 8 of theopposite link, the side bars, A, of one link cannot back out of theslotted end bearings ot' the pintle (J of the next adjacent link; but byturning the links into the relation seen at Fig. 3, so that, as thereillustrated, the side bars, A, may be moved longitudinally in theslotted ends of pintle U, the link capable of this movement may then beturned edgewise and moved bodily (as illus trated at Fig. 4) until it isentirely separated from its mate.

Thelugs 0. when employed,con1e to bearings against the bottom of grooveg, near its ends, and act as a reenforce, or as supplemental bearers totake the draft-strain conjointly with the cross-heads a andbearingsurt'aces at i.

In the modification shown at Fig. 6 the side bars, A, are incapable ofseparation from the slotted ends of the pintle C by any such turningmovement relatively edgewise, as seen at Fig. 4, but are made withloop-like devices at I, so that by sliding the side bars, A A, along inthe slotted pintle ends until the latter coincide with the loops I, thelink may be moved away from the pintle ends in the manner obvious.

In the modification shown at Fig. 7 the pintle-like device (3, in lieuof having slotted ends to accommodate the side bars, A, is formed with atenon, m, which fits loosely in a groove, 0, made in the inner face ofthe said side bar,

and comes to a bearing at the root or end of said groove, against which,and in said tenon, the pulling strain comes. In this modification of theinvention the parts of the chain are uncoupled and reeoupled bysubstantially the same sort of movements of the said parts as in thecaseot' that form of theinvention shown at Fig. 1.

Having now sut'ficiently explained my iiivcntion and those modes inwhich I have so far practiced it to enable those skilled in the art tomake and use detachable drive-chains embodying my improvements, andwishing it to be understood that I do not desire to limit the scope ofmy said invention to any precise forms or proportions of parts notessential to the novel principles of construction shown, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a link like device composed of two side bars, AA, and one hollow end bar, B, and having the free ends of its side barsformed or provided with projections, or their equivalents, as described,a pin tle-likc device, 0, adapted to [it and turn in the tubular endbar, B, and to engage at its ends with the side bars of a duplicatelink-like device, all substantially in the manner set forth.

2. In combination with a link-like device composed of two side bars andone hollow end bar, as described, and a pintle-like device, G, slottedat its ends and grooved longitudinally near either end, the lug-likeprojections 0, arranged on the inner faces of the side bars and adaptedto bear against the bottom of said grooved portions 01' the pintle, asset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of March,1881.

JAMES M. DODGE.

In presence ot'- THOMAS KANE, EPHRAIM BANNING.

